Résistance
by The-First-Step
Summary: Paris, 1943. Rey Jiima is an ex-British operative working for the Resistance. Kylo Ren is a Kommandant of the Neue Ordnung who has been brought in to eradicate the Resistance working in and around the French capital. When their paths cross, the lines between friend & foe, love & hate begin to blur. **Definitely MA fic: swearing, violence, lemons, historically accurate stuff **


**Hello! This is my first time writing within the realm of Star Wars, but since it's really just following WWII history (one of my fav historical periods) I think I'll be able to skirt around some of the more difficult aspects of it. This fic is definitely an AU situation so if you're not into that then idk what to tell you. **

**I am incorporating characters from the latest Trilogy into this story but they will not be exactly as played out in the films. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know if anything is unclear. I will be using several different languages throughout this story (I speak English and French), so please feel free to tell me if I need to change something on that account.**

**For those who are worried, I will be updating my Hades & Persephone fic soon.**

**As always, I own nothing and all recognisable characters are the property of LucasFilms and Disney. **

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**Chapter 1**

_**4éme Arrondissement, Paris, France**_

_**25 janvier, 1943**_

As snow drifted slowly from drizzle-grey clouds Rey looked at her watch then towards _l'Hôtel de Ville_. She felt her nose crinkle at the sight of the long, odious red flags which now hung from its parapets, the black tilted crosses at their centres making her physically ill.

From where she stood, leaning against the wet stone wall in small off-street from the _Parvis_, she had a clear view of the enormous courtyard in front of the city hall and was able to watch the various goings on of the few who dared wander about mid-winter Paris. In this part of town it was mostly soldiers or the administrative types that formed the regime, so the exact people her people needed to know about at the moment.

As if prompted by magic, a group of soldiers in grey-green uniforms walked across the plaza. She watched them, listening as their loud voices and the clip of their black polished boots echoed off the stones. They were the fourth group to have passed through the Parvis in the last hour, and she's seen many more units throughout the morning as she crossed through Paris.

According to the network, since the round up in Marseille the Germans had been increasing their patrols in all the _grande villes_; clearly their higher-ups thought there would be some retaliation coming as a result of their actions at the Old Port.

"Well, they think right." She muttered with no small sense of satisfaction.

Sticking her hand into her pocket, Rey could feel the small scroll of reed paper inside. The glass vile it was wrapped around clinked ever so slightly. One tight squeeze of her fist and the vinegar within would dissolve the missive in seconds. Maz was frightfully clever with sourcing it all, especially as rations continued to be cut and the Krauts kept cracking down on the black markets springing up over the city.

A flash of movement caught her attention and Rey watched as a tall man, dressed almost entirely in black, marched into the wide courtyard. His peaked cap was pulled low over his face and his neat uniform stuck out starkly in the muted surroundings of grey and white. At the sight of him, the group of soldiers stopped instantly and stood to attention. Their arms shot forward to shoulder height in a now too-familiar gesture.

"Heil!" They shouted as one, but the man ignored them as he walked rigidly across the plaza towards the doorway of the _Hôtel_.

Just as he reached it he paused. For a moment he stood stock still, with one foot poised on the lower step, then he turned back to scan the courtyard. As his dark gaze swept across the open space, Rey ducked back into the shadows of the laneway and pressed herself to the shadows of the wall.

She inhaled sharply as the man seemed to fixate on her position. She could almost feel his gaze burning into her. A tense minute passed then, his posture utterly rigid, the officer turned back towards the doorway and disappeared inside the _Hôtel._ Rey exhaled shakily, her heart pounding in her ears.

_Too close. _She berated angrily to herself.

Despite her trepidation, Rey had tried to take a quick gander at his features but from a distance it had been difficult to get any real detail aside from his dark eyes and hair. Yet he was definitely a new officer to Paris. She didn't recognise him from the others that she'd seen around, so she made a mental note to ask Maz or Finn if anyone else had seen him or knew who he was.

The now grumbling group of soldiers had vanished around the far corner of the plaza. In the near distance, a clock tower struck the hour and Rey took a deep breath. She flicked her collar up against the chill and made sure her beret was still sloped to partially conceal her face. Too much and she would draw suspicion, but too little and she'd be recognised if anyone saw her. It was a fine balance, but one she hoped that she'd perfected over the last few years.

She made her way back through the laneway away from the Hôtel. In summer it was usually filled with small tables and chairs, now it was empty and provided a quick exit towards the larger crowds crossing the Seine. From there she could flee from pursuers, racing across the île and losing them in the twisting laneways and cobbled streets of the 5éme and 6éme arrondissements.

_Always have an escape route, and if that fails lead them as far from the safehouse as possible. _Maz's sharp voice echoed in her head and Rey stood a little straighter. She was Resistance now, she had to screw her courage to the sticking place and get on with it.

She walked at a casual pace but didn't stop to look too closely to anything around her. With her rendez-vous in just under 5min, she had just enough time to wander down to the_ Tour Saint-Jacques_ and find the right spot to run the exchange.

As was standard, she didn't have a name or much of a description for her target, only that they'd be with a small dog and wearing a beret. She carried a brown shoulder purse, in which her trusty Enfield No.2 was stowed, and - as specified in her orders - she wore a tan peacoat that fell to just below her knees with a silver brooch in the shape of a desert rose pinned to her left breast.

As she approached the small park, and spotted the ancient arches of Saint Jacques' Tower rising above the trees, Rey cautiously peered about the quiet streets. Snow was falling more thickly now, but the area was far from deserted.

A small brasserie was spilling light and noise out onto the square, two women were pushing prams towards the river bank and a lone man sitting on a bench reading a paper and smoking. Thankfully, the police station seemed devoid of people but with voices carrying to her from the Quai, there was no guarantee that the park wouldn't have more visitors at some point. After taking one last look around her, Rey hurriedly moved away from her laneway and towards the old tower.

When she reached it, she quickly mounted the stone steps and ducked under the shelter of its gothic arches. Dusting snow from her outfit, she took a moment to peer up into the statue's face. The outside noise had died away somewhat and it was a peaceful space. Rey paused to read the small metal plaque that told her about the 16th Century church that once stood there.

A scurrying sound made her whirl around, only to see a small orange dog lifting it leg against one of the pillars. She smirked.

"I believe that's called being sacreligious." She told the pup, who stopped what it was doing and stared at her warily. It cocked its head as she stepped closer. She was about to speak again when a male voice rumbled from outside the tower.

"_Il fait très froid aujourd'hui, non?" _He asked quietly and Rey felt her heart flutter with excitement.

"_Il fait plus froid à la Russe." _She replied smoothly and her visitor chuckled.

"Cold enough to freeze the balls off the Führer." He continued and Rey gasped as recognition flooded her.

She grinned like a lunatic as Poe Dameron, his dark curls peaking out from beneath a black woollen beret, stepped in out of the cold.

"_Salut,_ Peanut," He said with a terrible French accent and Rey ran to him. It had been months since she'd last seen him. He was a little thin perhaps, but still very much alive and ready to kick some ass.

"_Salut mon chèr_." She pressed two _bises _to his cheeks and extending her hand out towards the small space within the base of the tower.

"Please, step into my office?"

Poe walked forward with a small spring in his step. As they moved deeper into the base of the tower, the small orange furball came in behind them. Coming to lean against the statue's base, Rey couldn't help but look over her American copatriot.

He was just as handsome as she remembered, with his olive complexion and large, dark eyes. Many of the other girls - all over the Resistance - batted their lashes and pouted prettily if he was around, but Rey was well aware that Poe's interests were, so to speak, piqued by a completely different deck of cards.

"It's good to see you." Poe murmured and Rey smiled thinly.

"You too, it's been far too long." She replied and Poe nodded wearily.

"Who's this?" Rey asked after a moment's pause, bending to pat the small creature who yipped quietly at their feet. He licked her gloved hands and as she scratched his belly, a long pink tongue lolled happily from its mouth.

"This little rascal is Baby Boy, but I call him BB for short." Poe said fondly and the dog's head immediately whipped towards his master. Rey grinned as she stood, charmed by the little creature. BB - a literal ball of orange fluff - moved to the doorway and sat, clearly watching for strangers.

"Good boy." Poe murmured and Rey couldn't help but agree.

"Where did you find him?" She asked curiously and Poe's eyes darkened.

"There are many animals without families now. I don't even remember when I found him, let alone where, but he's been with me for some time now; and saved my life more times than I care to admit." He said proudly and Rey looked towards the small dog, a newfound gratitude in her aching heart.

Suddenly remembering why they were there, she glanced around cautiously.

"Have you got it?" She asked and Poe's laisse-faire attitude faded to one of pure seriousness.

"Yes, and you?" He replied, she nodded.

Rey dipped her hand into her pocket. She pulled out the scroll and vile gently, holding them inconspicuously in her hand as Poe pulled a cigar box from a satchel over his shoulder. He neatly handed the box to her as she slipped him the note and vile. The box rattled ever so slightly as she grasped it and Rey brightened.

_The spare radio parts! _She quickly tucked them into her purse.

Her radio group had been stuck with two old models from the early 30s, one of which had been broken during a raid on their HQ by the SS and another which sometimes failed to pick up some of the frequencies. Hopefully this box contained some spare pieces she could use to patch up at least one of them and get the Resistance tuned in again to the right stations. Poe, having come back up to Paris via the south, clearly had links with the southern side cabals, which meant better odds of getting a hold of black market goods.

Before coming to the northern side, Rey had run those scavenging routes herself, but - even since Unker had been taken - she was needed to keep everything fitted and fine tuned. That meant the cars, telephones or radios that they'd been able to get their hands on, and since the signals worked better towards the north, that's where she'd stayed - at least for the last few months.

Some things changed but others stayed the same. After the note and box had been tucked safely away, Poe quickly wrapped her in a fierce hug. Although she was nearly unable to breathe, Rey returned it just as tightly. They clung to each other for a long moment, then he stepped back and touched her cheek gently.

"It's really good to see you." He repeated softly, his American accent coming through, and she felt her eyes burn slightly. She was unable to speak for a moment, then she cleared her throat.

"Finn misses you." She said weakly and now it was Poe's turn to look a little misty eyed.

The two Americans had been inseparable when they'd first arrived in France. The war had driven everyone apart, which gave them yet another reason to see it finished for good. Rey clamped a hand to her friend's shoulder.

"I know things are hard right now, but don't give up. We'll see it through." She said firmly and Poe nodded, gazing at her with a tight-lipped smile.

"I assume you heard about Marseille?" He muttered and she nodded grimly.

"Well, they say it's only going to get worse. The German's are pushing hard to flush us all out and they're doubling down on the Jews, Communists, Anarchists and Gaullists in the process."

"Nothing new then." She spat and now it was Poe's turn to grimace.

"Afraid not, but what about you Brits, anything new?" He asked hopefully and she rolled her eyes.

"I told you, I'm nobody." She sighed and Poe's eyes softened. He clipped her cheek playfully.

"Try telling your accent that." He teased and Rey scowled. Then she shrugged.

"Not much else I'm afraid. '_Ultra'_ is coming in rapidly these days, but we have to take it slow or the Kraut's will be onto us." She said regretfully and Poe nodded. She indicated to her bag.

"Hopefully with the parts, I'll be able to get a fixed line back into their HQ here, then we can start sending the news to the Park, rather than just receiving it-" Suddenly, BB sat up and barked. They both looked at him in alarm. Poe moved to the archway and scanned the park.

"Can't see anything, but we can't linger much longer." He muttered regretfully and Rey nodded. He patted his pocket and smiled.

"With this last piece, we'll set the last links into place. A nice bit of revenge for Marseille." Poe's handsome face darkened. Rey nodded grimly.

"Yes. And after that, the next one, and then the next one. We keep going until these bastards are running scared." She said savagely and Poe grinned without humour.

"Speaking of which, did you know there's a new officer heading to town?" She asked and Poe turned away from the doorway to look at her in surprise.

"Yes. We don't know much about him other than he's from that _Neue Ordnung_. Goes by Kylo Ren." Rey eyed her friend, pressing him for more info.

"He's the worst of the worst apparently and sent straight from Berlin to rat us out." Rey sucked in her breath, remembering the way the man had seemed to know she was there.

"Well. He's here. I saw him this morning." She said and Poe's eyes widened.

"Shit. For once I'm not entirely thrilled that the Montmatre guys were right." He said worriedly.

"But it doesn't change the fact that the bombs are going off this weekend." He continued and Rey smiled.

"Excellent." They looked at each other in silence then, with some alarm, realised they'd been standing there for too long. Rey checked her watch. They should have left 2min ago.

"It was good to see you." Poe said as he stepped back and Rey nodded, backing away to the other side of the tower.

"And you." She returned, blowing him a small kiss. He caught it, winking devilishly.

"You go first." He said with a small bow and she frowned.

"No, you've got the message, it's far more important than an old radio." She murmured and Poe rolled his eyes.

Reluctantly he stepped back into sunlight tumbling weakly onto the old stone steps, scanning the park cautiously as he did so. His eyes widened in alarm.

"We stayed too long." He muttered and Rey's heart clenched painfully in her chest.

"What?" She whispered and saw Poe's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly and stepped back inside the tower.

"Krauts. Over by the alley at 9 o'clock." He muttered and Rey walked over, feeling a cold sweat break out over her forehead as she spied a small group of the grey-green uniforms marching into the square. They scanned around, some looking over towards the tower.

"Bastards." She muttered. She realised, with alarm, that the man on the bench was gone.

"I think we've been betrayed." She murmured darkly and Poe's silence told her he thought so too.

"You go to the Seine. I'll go the other side, towards the 3eme." Poe said quietly and Rey nodded. Her route would put her directly in the path of the Germans. It was brutal but, as she'd said, she didn't have the message. She was disposable at this point.

"Check-in by the Carrousel Arch in 30min. If I'm not there, get the message to the guys at Montmartre. No matter what." He said brusquely and Rey nodded.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she hadn't even started to run yet.

"_Bonne chance._" She whispered and he nodded.

"_Toi aussi."_ He returned and she saluted him.

Taking a deep breath Rey braced herself on the top step, grateful she'd worn her regular brown boots and not the heels that she'd debated wearing that morning. She took off at full sprint, making sure she caught the attention of the guards that had emerged from the laneway. Behind them stood the tall, imposing figure of Kylo Ren.

Their eyes met as she raced past and time seemed to stop. His dark eyes widened slightly and for a moment it was just the two of them, alone in that snowy street. Rey noted that while he was quite pale, he was far too handsome. Especially for a bloody Kraut. She noted his strong features, committing them to memory, but his gaze... it was like a punch to the solar plexus. Rey stumbled, which brought her careening back to the present. Shaking it off, she made a rude gesture in their direction and sprinted away.

"_Haltet diese Frau!" _Kylo Ren bellowed and his men took off after her.

She grinned despite her fear. She tore down the street towards the Quai, twisting to pass a few people as they made their way along the pavement.

"_Pardonnez-moi!"_ She called over her shoulder as she ran on. A few moments later, angry shouts told her that the soldiers had run into the same people as well.

She risked a look behind her and saw two of the Germans on the ground, with some pedestrians _slowly_ trying to help them up. She grinned but her satisfaction was short-lived as the rest of the soldiers continued after her. She pushed on, rushing across the _Pont de Notre Dame _and onto _l'Île de la Cité. _

The crowds thickened here, some on their way to Notre Dame, others coming back from the morning markets. Thankfully that meant that she could duck and weave her way without being seen, but it also hindered her running. She could still hear the shouts of the soldiers behind her, bellowing at the crowd to part, to let them through.

"_Halte! Arrêtez cette femme!"_ One of them screamed as they caught sight of her.

Taking in another deep breath Rey barrelled onward, pushing past groups of people and aiming for the Pont de Coeurs. Some people jumped out of her way, but others eyed her with suspicion. She ignored everyone and kept running. Once across the bridge, she could lose her pursuers, climb up onto the rooftops of Saint-Germaine where she knew it would be more difficult for them to follow.

She hit the main drag and sprinted across the bridge, finally feeling that she was getting ahead. Then, her foot landed in a puddle of slurry and she went sprawling. Her left side hit concrete and the wind was knocked completely out of her. Nausea welled up in her throat but she lashed out as a hand came down her shoulder. Spinning away from her attacker, she stopped as she caught sight of an old man, his hand stretched out in aid.

She grasped it gratefully. He helped her up and pushed her onwards, pointing behind them as the soldiers appeared, their caps bobbing over the heads of the crowd. She nodded.

"_Allez-y!"_ He told her and she stumbled away.

"_Merci, Monsieur." _She wheezed and he shooed her away more forcefully.

Rey ran the rest of the length of the bridge, clasping her chest painfully. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. Her left hip felt tender, as did her shoulder, but she couldn't stop, she mustn't stop.

Reaching the safety of the tall buildings and narrow streets of the 5eme, Rey combed the terraced houses for a stairwell. Flying down one narrow lane and then the next. Boot steps were never far behind and Rey was starting to panic. She had to get higher, she had to know where she was.

She caught sight of an open doorway and threw herself through it, racing past a wide-eyed woman bent over a wide tub full of sheets. The steam hit her face and Rey coughed. She raced to the stairs at the back of the lot, looking back at the woman questioningly. She nodded, turning back to her work and using her wide skirts to partially block the entrance to the house. Rey tore up them, one flight, then two and then three! Her lungs were on fire now and her legs were jelly as she emerged on the final landing, catching sight of a window that led out onto a small rooftop where lines of washing hung up between smoke stacks.

She levered herself through and hauled out onto the sloping orange tiles, climbing a gable and perching herself atop it. Rey looked out over the snow-capped rooftops of Paris, scanning each direction to get her bearings.

She could see the glistening Seine on her right and breathed a sigh of relief. If she kept at it, she could cut through and come back across to the Carrousel Arch via one of the bridges beyond the _Pont Neuf._

She caught sight of her pursuers. They had stopped outside the washer woman's house. She now lingered on her doorstep with a cigarette and the men demanded something of her, angrily. The white-haired woman shrugged, the perfect picture of nonchalance. One of them spat at her and stormed away. The others followed suit as the woman wiped the spittal from her face and flung them a rude gesture in return.

She looked up and caught sight of Rey on the roof. She grinned and waved her on. Rey lifted her hand to wave back-

"Halte!" A deep voice boomed and she nearly fell from the roof.

She looked towards the voice and saw, to her utterly surprise, Kylo Ren bursting from the top floor of another house across the way. He was a half a block down or so over, but still, how the fuck had he managed to catch her?!

"Oh for fucks-sake." She whispered and slid down the gable away from him.

Hauling ass across the slippery tiles, Rey didn't stop to think where she was going. Behind her, she could hear Ren's boots hitting clay and slush. Up one gable, down the other side. Up again and down again. She jumped, climbed and balanced her way along the ledges and gable tops. She clung to chimneys where she could and ducked behind lines of washing when they appeared. All the while, those heavy black boots never ceased pounding the roofs behind her.

Then, all too soon, she hit a dead end. Tears blurred her vision as she came face to face with high walls on all sides. She gasped raggedly as Ren drew closer and closer.

Desperately, she glanced around. Then she saw it. Just visible in the thin gap between two buildings, she could see an open space with a sudden drop. She'd have to jump across a laneway. Her brain short circuited. It was utter suicide. She wouldn't make it.

Boots hit the gable behind her. She didn't stop to look, she simply took off towards the gap.

She'd rather go out on her own terms, and since she'd most likely shot if she was caught it was the choice between a rock and a hard place. As she reached the opening, she cast a glance behind her and saw Ren mere meters where she'd just been standing.

His gaze was fixed on her. She thrust her chin at him and a smirk flashed across his lips.

Oh, he was enjoying this was he? Well, let's see how much he liked it now. Rey flashed him a middle finger then twirled on her heel and twisted through the narrow gap between the buildings.

The rough bricks scraped at her legs, her coat and her hair, and several times she hit her shin on a pipe. Yet, she clawed her way through desperately. Loud curses told her Ren had found her escape route and she turned her head to see him jamming himself into the gap to pursue her.

She grinned. His sheer bulk was working against him this time and he barely fit between the two buildings. His eyes were scorching as he stared after her.

"Come get me then, you Hun bastard!" She yelled in English and his eyes flickered with surprise.

Rey scrambled away, reaching the end of the row and nearly toppling off it in her haste. She backed up slightly and eyed the void. The laneway was a couple of meters across- too far, way too far. Plus, the fall would definitely kill her. Rey inhaled raggedly, trying to fight the rising panic. She couldn't stay here. She'd have to do it.

So, she blocked it all out. Mechanically, she removed her coat and unhooked her purse. The air was frigid against her flushed skin and even with her vest, she felt the chill of it run through her.

Reluctantly, she tossed the coat to the ground. Picking up her purse, she took out the No. 2 and the cigar box. She tossed them across to the other building and nodded as she heard them clatter onto the flat roof. Now it was her turn.

She squared her shoulders and took a few steps back. She titled her head, lining up her run. A small ledge gave her a little thrust up, so it was a case of getting enough momentum to clear the way. She backed up a little more.

"Stop!" Ren barked from behind her and now it was Rey's turn to look back at him in shock.

The asshole actually spoke English. And he was mere meters away, slowed down almost to a crawl but making his way slowly after her. She turned back to the ledge and prepared to run.

"Stop! Are you crazy? You'll kill yourself." He shouted and his accent was hard to place.

Rey, while surprised at his concern, shrugged.

"You'll kill me too if I don't. So, it appears I am at what our froggie friends call an _impasse, non?_" She retorted calmly and turned away.

"God help me." She breathed and took off.

Ren shouted something after her but she couldn't hear anything against the wind in her ears. She closed her eyes as her right foot hit the ledge. Pooling all of her strength into her crouch Rey breathed out then launched herself into the air.

**OOOOOOO**

At first, when the man had come skulking into the Hôtel de Ville, the guards had been reluctant to let him through. Hux, idiot cretin that he was, had even gone so far as to the throw the man back out into the Parvis.

It was his shouts that had alerted Kylo to a possible lead.

"_Ils sont au parc!" _The man had shouted to as the soldiers made to close door.

Not a moment later Kylo had come out from his office, peering down onto the forum and glancing at the ruckus. He'd made his way down the stairs, eyeing the man with obvious distaste. He folded his arms across his chest.

"_Qui?" _He asked impatiently and the man looked relieved at the chance to speak French.

"_La Résistance." _He breathed, his watery eyes shining. Kylo snorted in disbelief.

"_Impossible." _He said dismissively and the trembling man flinched.

"_Non. Croyez-moi,_ _c'est eux. Je sais pas ce qui est passé exactement, mais il y a une femme dans le Tour et un homme est là-bas aussi. Les deux portent les bérets_." Kylo rolled his eyes.

A couple in a tower wearing berets. It's fucking France, of course they were wearing berets.

Plus, a secret meeting between lovers meant little to him. He needed proof if he was to move without prior intel.

The high-ups wanted Paris to remain as calm as possible, so one wrong move would destroy the flimsy peace they were determined to keep with the Regime. Yet, he'd felt the aftermath from Marseille echoing even as far North as here. Everything was ready to go off, it just needed the right push.

"_Et votre évidence?_" He demanded, grabbing the man roughly by the collar. The man, apron filthy, stared at him desperately.

"_L'homme, je lui connais. C'est Dameron_." The man murmured and Kylo went still.

He beckoned Hux over and the red-haired psychopath came like a dog to heel, his steely eyes ready.

"_Vous êtes sûr que c'est Dameron?_" He asked seriously and the man nodded. Hux looked delighted. Despite the fact the idiot couldn't speak a word of French, he would at least follow names.

"If it's Dameron, we can hit these Resistance mutts right where it hurts." Hux said gleefully, his expression full of malice. Kylo nodded.

"_Ils sont toujours là_?" He asked the man, who nodded. Still there, brilliant.

"He's making a drop at the Tower, if we get there now, we might catch them." He told Hux who instantly started barking commands at the closest soldiers.

They sprang to attention and about 8 of them fell into line as Kylo strode across the courtyard. He let them go on ahead through an alleyway directly across from the _Hôtel_ but not before he noted a small set of footprints in the snow. They lead away from them, towards the Tower.

"Someone's been watching us." He remarked out loud, feeling no satisfaction that his earlier suspicions had been correct.

It was ridiculous to assume that the Resistance wouldn't have operatives all over Paris, but the fact that one had been less than 100 meters from them, while he and a bunch of soldiers strolled past, was unacceptable. Even if Paris wasn't in the heat of the battle - as was the case in the east - it was a hotspot for the Frenchie bastards and their Allies. They had to be vigilant.

As the group reached the mouth of the laneway, it opened out onto a small park. The Quai was to their left, and he could make out an ancient tower over the scattering of snow-covered trees to the right. As they stepped into the square, a dog barked. He paused.

"Halte." He ordered his men quietly and they obeyed instantly.

He listened intently. A minute passed, then he heard it. The voices were faint, but they were there. He urged his men forward, then stopped as a figure emerged from the tower at a full sprint.

It was a woman. She was petite and dressed in a tan coat. Her booted legs moved lithely beneath her as she fled across the park in front of them, making direct eye contact with him.

Kylo froze, his breath caught in his throat. Without a doubt, he knew this woman was their spy but the order that should have come choked him as her wide grey eyes met his. Her mouth popped open in shock and she stumbled. Shaking herself off, she made an extremely unladylike gesture in their direction then took off again towards the river.

The spell was broken. He screamed for his men to stop her. As they all made to do so, he caught the last three. Grabbing two by their shoulders he shoved them back towards the tower.

"Follow him." He ordered and they nodded, moving off towards the park. Hux showed up a moment later and Kylo nodded towards the three soldiers.

"Dameron." He muttered and his second grinned.

"I'll get him." Hux murmured and Kylo nodded, letting it go for once.

While he hated that Hux might nab Dameron, he was shaken by the cocky woman. He needed to know exactly who she was. Dameron didn't just meet with anyone, and it was clear she'd taken the gabit to draw him and his men away. Brave, even if she was utterly foolish.

As his men set off in direct pursuit, Kylo weighed his options. She'd most likely follow the river, but in which direction. To the East, there wasn't much left but the suburbs - which could be the perfect spot for a hideout - yet, something told him that she was en route to the West. He followed the feeling. He took off towards the _Île_ but angled himself to cross the _Pont Saint-Michel. _

As he ran, he barged past stunned and angry pedestrians, but none stopped him. No one ever did. He watched as she tore across the bridge further downriver, then as she disappeared into the 5eme arrondissement. Swearing loudly, Kylo sprinted into the maze of tangled alleys and cobbled streets. People leapt out of his way, clearly terrified, and for once he was grateful for the instant fear he invoked.

He started to channel her mindset. She would be looking to find a place to lie low until she could move on. Doing that meant ditching his men. She was smart and his men were idiots that wouldn't look beyond their noses unless ordered to. Ditching them meant going up or going down. Kylo pondered his choices for another moment.

Up. She would go up. Get her bearings, then possible make her way to wherever she thought Dameron would meet her.

He set his feet in the direction of a death-trap of a fire-escape on the outside of a leaning terrace house. He was now a few streets back from the river and there were fewer people around now. Grasping the freezing metal railing, he took the steps two at a time. A couple of floors up, he pushed past a startled child in rags who began to cry. He ignored her, climbing higher and higher.

When he reached the roof, he looked around his new cityscape view. Orange tiles, white linens and snow capped chimneys. No movement otherwise.

Fuck, maybe she had gone downwards.

There could be thousands of entry points into the catacombs from here. Kylo swore out loud. Just as he was about to head back down, a sound reached him. It was a few rooftops over and he turned to see a brown-haired woman crawl out of a window, not even half a block down from him. She climbed up onto the top of a gable, peering out along the river. Then she peered down towards the street below. He stalked towards her, trying to keep quiet. She raised a hand towards someone on the ground-

"Halte!" He called and she whipped around to face him.

Fear and disbelief flashed across her face in rapid succession. He started running towards her. She slipped her legs over the gable and slid down its other side.

She was nimble and lightning quick. She flew over gables and around chimney tops as though born to do it. As fast as he was, Kylo couldn't quite close the gap more than a roof or so. Despite the genuine annoyance she brought, he couldn't deny the thrill that coursed through him.

Suddenly, she stopped. He felt a hot streak of triumph flash through him, realising she was trapped. She whirled to face him, defiance plain across her pretty features.

_Did you really just call her pretty? _A snark voice in his head asked.

He pushed it away. Objectively she was attractive, there was no denying it. He'd have to be blind not to see that.

He groaned as she took off again, this time sliding into the narrow gap between two buildings - which he hadn't seen from the angle of his approach.

"Fuck." he muttered, sizing up the space.

He ran to it, angling himself as much as possible, then tried to make his way along it. He could barely breathe for how tight a squeeze it was, yet up ahead, the woman was tantalizingly close. The rough bricks and pipes slowed him immensely, but he saw the woman stop dead up ahead.

She looked back at him and grinned.

"Come get me then, you Hun bastard!" She yelled in English and Kylo exhaled in shock. An Englishwoman. How interesting.

As she turned away again, he peered around her slight frame and saw a wide gap between them and the building across the way.

She was done. There was no escape now.

He continued onwards, then his eyes widened. The crazy vixen was stripping off her clothing. In late January. What the actual-

He watched her toss some things from within the purse over to the building ahead and started to put two and two together.

"No way." He whispered as the woman started to back up, clearly lining herself up to jump.

"Stop!" He yelled and she paused, looking back at him in complete amazement.

"Stop! Are you crazy? You'll kill yourself." He shouted at her in English and to his shock, she merely shrugged.

"You'll kill me too if I don't. So, it appears I am at what our froggie friends call an _impasse, non?_" She retorted calmly.

_I at least want to keep you alive a little longer than that drop will. _He thought but before he could say anything else, she took off towards the ledge.

"STOP!" He bellowed, but she ignored him. Her legs curled in and she launched herself into the open space. At the height of her arch, her arms and legs started windmilling as she soared towards the far side of the gap.

He pushed forward with a curse, coming to the ledge himself now and peering across it as the woman's body collided with the far parapet with a sickening thud. Her breath released in a whoosh that even he could hear and for a moment he thought she might let go for the pain. Then, incredibly, her legs began to scramble at the plaster and brick of the house. Her arms were barely over the lip of the ledge but she screamed with the effort of hauling herself up.

_Holy shit. She made it. _

He couldn't quite believe it. As she crawled over the ledge, the woman collapsed with a groan of pain. She rolled and lay wheezing on her back. Kylo looked down. It was at least 4 stories, if she'd missed by even an inch it would have been certain death.

"Are you actually insane?" He called to her and a weak hand movement was all he got in return.

He began to size his options again. She was clearly injured, so maybe if he could get down and across to the building in enough time, she'd still be there. It was worth a shot. He eye-balled how far it was down to the next floor's window. He could make it.

Slinging her purse and coat over his shoulder, Kylo manoeuvered himself to swing his legs over the side of the building. Slowly, he eased himself down, twisting to grab a hold of the ledge. He gave himself some leverage to kicked in the glass of the window below and a satisfying crash made him grin.

He slipped inside and turned to look back across to the other roof. To his astonishment, the woman was sitting up, arms wrapped around her middle. She glared at him.

"Leave and I'm gone." She croaked triumphantly and he smirked.

"You won't get far." He retorted and she sniffed, wincing as she crawled to her feet.

Her face was blanching with pain as she stood up slowly. He memorised her features, taking in every detail. She was right about the situation for now. But he'd catch up with her sooner or later.

"_Auf wiedersehen, mein Fraülein."_ He said coldly and she scowled.

"_Ich bin nicht dein Fräulein." _Good lord, she was good.

He watched as she backed away from the ledge and disappeared into the rooftops of Paris.

Anger welled in him, bright and hot. Good or not, she'd made an idiot of him. Her, a nobody from nowhere England, had outmatched him, Kylo Ren of the _Neue Ordnung. _

It was more than he could stand.

Growling with anger he stormed through the apartment, ignoring the terrified residents as he made his way downstairs and onto the streets. If people had been terrified before, it was nothing compared to how they fled from him now. Streets seemed to clear as he made his way down them, back towards the Seine.

As he made his way back across the Île de la Cité and toward the Hôtel, he grasped on tightly to the coat and purse. His links to her. Whoever she was.

As he walked into the forum of the Hotel, he stopped to see several of his men waiting.

"Report." He snapped and they stood to attention.

"Herr Hux is downstairs with the prisoner." One of them ventured and Kylo felt the ache in his chest lift somewhat. At least they'd caught one of them.

"Splash these with a bit of red ink, then bring them down below." He ordered, handing the soldier the coat and purse.

Without a word, the young man made off to do as he was bid. Kylo moved to the left of the stairs and made his way along a quiet corridor towards the steps that lead down to the cellars. As he approached he heard screams.

Grimacing, he realised that Hux was already at work. If he didn't intervene, there might not be much left of Dameron to interrogate.

He marched down the stairs and threw open a sizable metal door. It hit the wall with a slam and the two men inside both jumped as he entered. The red-haired one relaxed, but the dark-haired man in the chair merely went another shade paler beneath the blood streaming from a cut in his hairline.

"Ren, we got him." Hux said triumphantly, and Dameron's eyes flicked between them.

"Indeed." Kylo muttered, coming to stand before Dameron.

He positioned his hands behind his back, standing rigidly still as he stared down his nose at the blood-soaked man.

"_Sprechen sie Deutsch, Herr Dameron?_" He asked and Dameron merely chuckled.

"Fuck you, Kraut." He retorted, hawking back and launching a gob of bloodied spit at Kylo's chest.

Not even bothering to clean it off, Kylo leaned in.

"Well Dameron, I hope you last longer than your lady-friend did." He whispered, in perfect English.

He couldn't help but smirk as Dameron's entire face went slack.

"What did you do to her? You Hun bastards!" He screamed before Hux slammed his fist into Dameron's cheek.

He groaned but looked up at Kylo, his face a mask of pure hatred.

"If you've hurt her, I swear-" Another punch.

"English, _français, _American… you all talk the same language in the end." Kylo muttered, grasping Dameron's chin between his fingers.

"Try not to damage him too much, Hux. He has intel we need." He spat in German to his colleague, who scowled darkly at him.

"But I caught him." He whined. Kylo arched a brow.

"Do you want to explain to Snoke why we couldn't get anything from Dameron, despite having him in our hands after months of searching for the prick?" He demanded sharply and Hux's bloodlust died down slightly.

"_Nein, mein Kommandant._" He replied sulkily and Kylo nodded, turning his attention back to Dameron.

"I suggest you start telling us what we want to know, Dameron." He warned, releasing the man's face and letting it drop to his chest.

"It will go much easier for her if you do."

"Eat shit." Came the reply.

A knock at the door came before Kylo could retort. He turned to see the soldier from before, carrying the coat and purse. They were, dutifully, splattered with the ink. From a distance, it would look like blood.

"_Hast du getan, was ich gefragt habe?" _He demanded and the soldier nodded.

"_Ja, Kommandant._" Kylo nodded then shooed the man away, but not before letting Dameron see the coat and purse.

The American began to shake, clearly recognising the items.

"You fucking Nazi bastards." He muttered, his dark eyes blazing.

Kylo ordered the man to take her things to his office, then indicating to Hux that he wished to go outside to speak. The two moved to just outside the door and Kylo paused to listen to the sounds of Dameron on the inside. He was quiet, but his breathing was ragged.

"So, you got the girl too?" Hux demanded hungrily and Kylo permitted himself a small movement of his head. Hux took it as a nod and grinned.

"What do you plan to do with him?" His second demanded, jerking his chin towards the room where Dameron waited. Kylo tilted his head pensively.

"We extract what we can. They're planning something to do with the railways, but as to when or how, we don't yet know." He said simply and Hux nodded.

"We have him for the foreseeable future. So let the Resistance stew on that fact." Kylo turned on his heel and made his way upstairs. Hux followed suit, hands clasped behind his back.

"What do we tell Snoke?" he asked and Kylo exhaled.

"For now, only that we have Dameron. We don't have anything else as yet, do we?" Hux's pale face flushed with shame.

"The asshole used a vinegar vile on reed paper. Smashed it before we could take the missive from him." He snarled furiously and Kylo let himself smirk.

"No matter, we'll get what we need eventually."

They mounted the stairs and a sudden thought reached Kylo as he looked back down at Hux.

"Oh, and Hux," The red-head looked like he was itching to be dismissed.

"Find me every one of your guard patrols that came through this area from 6am onwards. That woman was loitering across from the building for the better part of the morning. I want to know who fucked up so much that we had the fucking Resistance on our doorstep and no-one was the wiser." He snarled and Hux's eyes narrowed angrily.

"Kommandant…" He weaselled and Kylo completely lost his temper.

Fury broke forth like water from a dam and he could almost feel the room shake with his bellows.

"Your incompetence led to a god-damned Resistance drop, undertaken by Poe fucking Dameron, not even a quarter-mile from our Head Quarters. This, in turn, leads me on a goose chase halfway across Paris in pursuit of a British operative working for the fucking French Resistance." He drew a breath, relishing the quiver in his subordinate's lip.

"I want to know how many of your useless sons of bitches walked straight past her this morning and I want your bloody report on the matter on my desk before sundown. Do you understand?" He demanded and Hux's entire face morphed into a mask of barely concealed anger.

"_Ja, Kommandant."_ He replied sourly, saluting Kylo and turning away.

As he disappeared from view, Kylo heard him bellowing at his own men. Satisfied that he had Hux off his tail for the better part of the afternoon, he finally made his way upstairs. He slipped into his office, closed the door (and locked it for good measure) then moved to collapse into his chair. The coat and purse sat on the table. He eyed them angrily.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked aloud, taking the purse and opening it.

A few cigarettes, a couple of francs and a compact mirror. Whatever it had contained was gone now. He threw it aside and looked over the tan coat. It was a sturdy woollen one, perfect for Parisian winters. He noted the silver brooch on the front left breast.

"A desert rose, hm." He remarked quietly, unpinning the small metal piece and turning it over in his fingers.

The needle pricked him, forcing him to drop the brooch with a small curse. A bead of ruby red blood oozed from his thumb, reminding him of the flower itself. And of the woman.

"I will find you, whoever you are." He swore and carefully tucked the pin into his breast pocket.

He felt the weight of it there, like a physical reminder of her. After a moment's pause, he looked down and opened the underdraw of his desk. Taking out a square of paper, he set to work writing his report.

OOOOOO

After managing to get back down from the roof, Rey staggered through the slick streets of Paris.

Her chest felt as if it were caved in. It hurt to draw breath and she was certain she'd broken at least one of her ribs. To make matters worse, her hip was barely holding her weight now and her head spun with nausea. Snow wasn't falling yet, but it would, and without her coat, she could freeze before she made her way back to the 14eme arrondissement. She'd been at the Carrousel for at least 20 minutes, but it was starting to feel like Poe wasn't going to show.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." She muttered, unable to think straight.

It was all a fucking mess. She'd wouldn't have time to get to Maz and to the Montmartre guys. Not with her injuries.

A soft bark broke through her dizzying thoughts. Rey turned to see BB, his orange fur completely on edge, making his way towards her.

"BB." She murmured, bending with a groan to pat the small dog.

"Where's Poe?" She asked and the small creature whined. Rey looked around desperately. In her heart she already knew the answer.

"Don't worry, boy. We'll find him." She said, with more confidence than she felt.

BB licked her fingers. She held out her arms. He jumped into them and she held him to her chest. His warm body instantly sheltered her battered torso from the cold and she started walking.

Rey was vaguely aware of making a decision about her direction. She moved slowly, painfully, but thankfully she was unimpeded by any other Krauts. Over the next hour, her journey was just a process of one foot in front of the other. Over and over and over again.

She kept her head down and her feet moving. Every now and again she would stumble or slip on slush. Each time BB would whine pitifully and lick her face. Eventually, she collapsed against an archway. BB fell from her arms and started yapping loudly.

"Shhhhhh, BB." She ordered weakly but the small dog kept at it.

Her vision was darkening around the edges. She stumbled forward, her hand coming to rest on a familiar white door. Its handle was in the shape of a falcon. She thumped at it; once, twice, three times.

As her vision blurred she heard it open and a male voice boomed distantly. The last thing she recalled before passing out was being hoisted into strong arms and carried into the warmth beyond the falcon door.

* * *

**Wooooooooooooop! And the first chapter is down.**

**Now, there was a little bit of French and German in there, but I hope that I was able to use the context around them to give you the answers. I don't like providing long lists of vocab at the end of chapters, but please let me know if you think it was a bit much. **

**As always, thank you for reading and - hopefully - reviewing. All you support gives me such life. **


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